Bill Whitehead, a driver with FirstFleet, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., was named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for helping motorists whose car had been struck by a deer.
On Oct. 7, Whitehead was driving on Highway 402 in Georgia when he saw a car collide with a deer. The car, which had been in the right lane, swerved to the left and came to a stop in the median. Two women and two girls were inside.
Seeing flames underneath the vehicle, Whitehead made sure the women escaped from their car. He then grabbed a fire extinguisher from his truck and began working on the flames. When other motorists stopped to help, he returned to his truck to retrieve a second extinguisher. With the help of the other motorists, he had mostly extinguished the flames and pushed the car back to the right shoulder of the road when police arrived.
“I have a daughter who is a single mother, and I hope someone would help her out if she ever needed it,” said Whitehead, who has been driving for nearly 30 years.
For his efforts, Whitehead received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate and patch. FirstFleet also received a certificate acknowledging one of its drivers is a Highway Angel.
